Ribbon-inking machine



Feb. l0, 1931, c. H. BABB RIBBON INKING MACHINE Filed March 28, 1928 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Af/206122521; Year/@5% Feb. 10, 1931. c. H. BABB RIBBON IhNKING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 28, 1928 Fatented lieba 19, 1931 lar ries 1 cuantas n. BABB, or CHICAGQ'ILLINOIS RIBBONNKENG MACHNE Application led March 28, 1928. Serial No. 265,281.

This invention relates to improvements in inking devices particularly adapted for inking ribbons, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a compact device of Y this character by means of the use of which a ribbon of any width within the capacity of the device, may be quickly and easily inked without requiring the services of an expert.

A further object is to provide an improved machine of this character in which the ink tank or well may be readily removed and interchanged with another tank or well, thereby rendering it possible to ink ribbons of dierent colors, without the necessity of cleaning the ink tank or well every time the color is to be changed.

A further object is to provide an improved device of this character which will be of a simple and durable construction, effective and efficient in operation, and cheap to manufacture, rendering it possible to sell the same at a comparatively low price, for installation in oces and individual business places.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and rangement of the several parts, hereinafter vmore fully described and claimed and shown in the accompa-nying` drawings illustrating this invention, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improved device of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a. vertical sectional View taken on line 2 21 Figure 3.

Figure 3 is avertical sectional view taken on line 3 3, Figure 1.

Figure et is a horizontal taken on line 4 4, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 5 5, Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral 10 designates supporting uprights mounted upon a base 11 and between which uprights are arranged guides 12.

These guides may be of any desired length and extend beyond both ends of the upright sectional view to form a support for the ink well or tank 13, the latter being of any desired configuration, but preferably provided with an upright end wall 14- and is open at the top.

The tank is provided with a. flange 15 along the top of the side walls and the tank lits between the supports 12 so that the flange 15 will engage and rest upon the top of the guides for removably and adjustably supporting the tank in position. The tank is adapted to be removed by sliding the same upon the guides 12 and from between the ends thereof so that when desired the tank which is in operation may be readily removed and interchanged with another tank.

Supported by the uprights 10 above the guides 12 are parallel rollers 16 1f, which are preferably geared together by means of gears 18 19 and a crank or handle 2O is connected with the shaft 21 of the roller 17. The shaft 22 of the roller 16 is journa-led in bearings 23 and these bearings are mounted in slots 211 in the upper ends of the uprights 10. Brackets 25 are provided at the tops of the uprights above the rollers and adjusting screws 26 are threaded through these brackets so as to engage the respective bearings 23 and thereby adjust them to vary the pressure of the rollers 16 and 17 upon each other. llhe brackets 25 are secured in position in any suitable manner and a cap 27 may if desired, be provided to extend over the brackets 25.

Removably supported by one end of the guides 12 i-s a shaft 28 upon which a drum or spool 29 to receive the ribbon after it has been inked, is rotatably mounted. The shaft 28 may be removed from its supports and sleeved through the spool 29 and then replaced, the spool with the material thereon being secured to the shaft 28 for rotation therewith in any suitable manner, such as by means of sleeves or collars 30 31 carried by the shaft and which sleeves or collars are adapted to be clamped against the ends of the drum or spool 29 in any suitable manner, such as by means of fastening screws 32 33.

Another shaft 84 is removably supported by the guides 12 on the other side of the tank and this shaft passes through a drum or spool 85 and upon which latter the material to be inked is wound. This drum or spool 35 is frictionally held against free moveme in any suitable manner, such as by means oit a sleeve or collar on the shaft Sil secured by means of a fasteninii screw and which collar engages one end ol the spool or drum 35.

Another sleeve or collar 39 engages the other end ot the spool or drum 35 and is frictionally held thereagainz-it in any suitable manner, such as by means of a spring 40 engaging one face of the adjacent guide 12 and also seated within a recess 41 in the collar 39. This spring a0 is of sullicient tension so as not to interfere with the unwinding ot the material from the drum or spool 35, but will prevent the material from paying out too quickly.

As a means for conveyingl the ribbon from the roller 35 into and through the tank or well before it passes between the rollers 16 and 177 a suitable guide may be provided which is preferably in the form of a strip of material of any desired width. according;v to the width ot the ribbon to be inked. This guide is shaped by bending one end thereot back upon itscl'lf to form a downwardly opening substantially U shaped portion 42 which is of a size to be engaged over the upright wall 14 of the well or tank lmd to frictionally hold the guide member in position. The other end of the guide is shaped to iorm an upwardly extending portion from a point in proximity to the base er bottom of the tank or well. The portion 43 terminates within the tank or well and the guide provided with openings 411'- and 115, through which the ribbon 36 is threaded. The lower extremity 46 of one of the legs of the downwardly opening U shaped portion which en gages over the wall 14 of the well or tank is shaped to 'form a linger engaging;- portion so as to facilitate the removal. of the guide from the tank :nd the detachment therefrom from the tank .vall and to obviate the necessity of the operator havingto engeren the ribbon with his lingers to remove the guide. This is accomplished pre t'erably by extending the portion lo below the bottom oi' the tank and on the outside thereof.

In use the rollers 16-17 are relatively adjusted so as to provide the proper pressure upon the ribbon passing therebetween and the material to be inked is mounted upon the shaft Sil. One end of the ribbon is then passed over the guide 42 and threaded through the openings @lll- 115 in the manner shown in Figure 2, then passed between the rollers lo and 17, and then to the drum or spool 29 on the shaft 28. The rollers are then operated by moans ot the handle Q0 and this operation of the rollers wili, through the medium oi a pulley 47 on the shaft of the roller 17, rotate the shaft 28 and `the spool or drum 29 through the medium et a belt 18 which passes over the pulley i7 and also over another pulley 19 on the shaft is the ribbon passes through the tank or well 18 it will be passed between the rollers 15 and 1T, the latter servingl to press the ink into the ribbon and the surplus ink from the ribbon. The ribbon is then wound upon the spool or drum 29.

lVhen it is desired to change the color oit ink, all that is necessary to remove one of the Shafts QS-Bfl and then slide die well or tank 13 upon the guides 12 a d out of the machine tcpermit another well or tank to be intercbanged therewith.

ils a means for holding the guide in the proper position with respect to the tank, the wall lll over which the guide is frictionally engaged, may be provided wi 1h a notch or cut away portion 5G, within which a portion ot' the guide stands.

llVhile the preferred form of he invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claims7 without departing from the spirit of this invention.

lVhat is claimed as new is l. In a ribbon inking machine a support, a guide carried by the support and proliecting beyond both sides thereof, a tank or well mounted upon the guide and slidable therew alongl whereby said tank may be positioned at any desired point with respect to the guide and to be removed from the machine and interchanged withy another tank, a pair of parallel pressure rolls between which the ribbon passes after it has been inked, said rolls being disposed above the guide and beneath which rolls the tank is adapted to be located,

and means for rotating the rolls to cause the inked ribbon to pass therebetween.

2. In ribbon inking machine a support, a `guide carried by the support and projecting beyond both sides thereof, a tank or well mounted upon the guide and slidable therealong to any desired position, said tank being' adapted to be freely removed from the machine and interchanged with another tank, a pair of parallel pressure rolls between which the ribbon passes after it has been inked, said rolls being disposed above the guide and beneath which rolls the tank adapted to be located, means for rotating the rolls to cause the inked ribbon to pass therebetween, and a guide supported by the tank `for directing` and guiding; the ribbon into and through the tank.

3. In a ribbon inking machine a support, a Iguide carried by the support and projecting,r beyond both sides of the support, a tank or well mounted upon the support and slidable therealongr to any desired position, said tank being freely removable from the machine an d interehanged with another tank, a pair of parallel pressure rolls between which the ribbon passes after it has been inked, said rolls being disposed above the guide and beneath which rolls the tank is adapted to be located, means for rotating the rolls to cause the inked ribbon to pass therebetween, and a guide frictionally and detachably secured to one wall of the tank for directing and guiding the ribbon through the tank.

et. In a ribbon inking machine a support, a guide carried by the support and extending for a considerable distance therebeyond, a tank or well mounted upon the support and slidable therealong to any desired position with respect to the guide and whereby said tan r may be removed from the machine and interchanged with another tank, a pair of parallel pressure rolls between which the ribbon passes after it has been inked, said rolls being disposed above the guide and beneath which rolls the tank is adapted to be located, means for rotating the rolls to cause the inked ribbon to pass therebetween, and a guide frictionally and detachably engaging over the top of one wall of the tank for guiding and directing the ribbon into and through the tank, a portion of said guide extending away from the tank on the outside thereof to form a linger engaging portion to facilitate the removal of the guide from the tank.

5. A ribbon inking machine embodying an ink well or tank, a pair of parallel rollers thereabove and between which the ribbon passes after it has been inked, and a guide for directing the ribbon into and guiding the same through the ink well, said guide being formed of a strip of material, one end thereof being bent back upon itself to form an inverted substantially U shaped portion frictionallv engaging over the top edge of the wall of the ink well, the other end of the guide being shaped to extend upwardly from a point within and in close proximity to the bottom of the vell towards and terminating in proximity to said rollers, there being openings through said body portion through which the ribbon passes.

6. A ribbon inking machine embodying an ink well or tank, a pair of parallel rollers thereabove and between which the ribbon passes after ithas been inked, and a guide for directing the ribbon into and guiding the same through the ink well, said guide being formed of a strip of material., one end thereof being bent back upon itself to form an inverted substantially Ll shaped portion frictionally engaging over the top edge of the wall of the ink well, the other end of the guide being shaped to extend upwardly from a point within and in close proximity to the bottom of the well towards and terminating in proximity to said rollers, there being openings through said body portion through which the ribbon passes, a portion' of the said guide outside of the ink well being positioned to form a finger engaging portion to facilitate the removal of said guide from the ink well.

7. In a ribbon inking machine, a support, spaced and extended parallel horizontal guides `carried thereby, a tank or well, lateral projections extending beyond the sides of the tank and adapted to engage and rest upon and support the tank between said guides for free sliding movement lengthwiseupon the guides, said tank being freely removable from the machine, pressure rolls between which the ribbon passes after it has been inked, said rolls being disposed above the guides and beneath which rolls the tank is located, and means for rotating the rolls.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification, on this 23rd day of March, A. D. 1928.

CHARLES H. BABB. 

